Properties of the Common Antigen Associated With Marek's Disease Herpesvirus and Turkey Herpesvirus Infections

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Abstract
An agar-gel precipitation (AGP) antigen prepared from feather tips (feather-prep) of chickens infected with Marek's disease herpesvirus (M DHV), and 4 antigens from cell extracts (cell-prep) or culture fluids (fluid-prep) of cultures infected with either MDHV or herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) had 1 precipitation line in common. The common antigen was stable at 50° C, but not 60°, for 30 minutes, unstable at pH 10.5 or above, or pH 2.5 or below, and remained in the aqueous phase after centrifugation at 100,000×g for 90 minutes. It was unaffected by acetone and ether, but was partially destroyed by pronase and completely by sodium period ate. The molecular weight, estimated by gel filtration, isoelectric point, and sedimentation velocity of the feather-prep, was 33,000 ± 5000 dalton, pl 6.35 and 4.25, respectively, whereas the molecular weights of MDHV- and HVT-fluid-prep were 46,000 ± 8000 and 43,000 ± 6000 dalton, respectively, and the isoelectric point of both preparations was pl 4.5. By sucrose-gradient (12-52%) centrifugation of the supernatant of disrupted cells, the common antigen was separated from the virus particles. The common antigen contained no virus particles and formed 1 AGP line. However, the concentrated materials of pooled fractions containing virus particles formed 2 lines, one of which fused to that of the common antigen. These find ings suggest that the common antigen obtained from the cells with MDHV or HVT was a glycoprotein. The possibility that the common antigen was associated with the envelope of the virus was discussed.

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